Engineers Escape: Build a Camera Drone (Part 2)

Introduction

• Presenter: Jake
• Series: Build a Camera Drone
  • Part 1: Introduction and Overview
  • Part 2: Flight Mechanics and Components
  • Part 3: Ordering Components (upcoming)

Definitions and Basic Concepts

UAV and UAS

• UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle): Aircraft piloted remotely or by onboard computers.
• UAS (Unmanned Aerial System): Includes the UAV and related equipment (e.g., radio, goggles).

Rotors and Quadcopters

• Rotor: A spinning component, such as a propeller.
• Quadcopter: A multi-rotor aircraft with four propellers.
  • Propellers create: Thrust, Lift, Torque

Forces and Torque

• Thrust: Pushing force in any direction.
• Lift: Force opposing the weight of the aircraft.
• Torque: Twisting force causing rotation.
  • Newton's Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Helicopter Example

• Tail Rotor: Prevents the body from spinning due to torque imbalance.
• Application: Relevant to quadcopter mechanics.

Quadcopter Mechanics

Assumptions

• Ignoring drag.
• Center of Gravity (CG) is centered.
• Quad is initially stationary.

Motor Setup (Quad X Configuration)

• 4 Motors: Numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4.
  • Motors 1 and 4: Spin clockwise.
  • Motors 2 and 3: Spin counterclockwise.
• Radio: Mode 2 radio

Movements

Hovering

• Throttle: 50% for all four motors.
• Lift: Equals the weight.
• Torque: Balanced (no rotation).

Ascending and Descending

• Ascend: Increase throttle for all four motors.
• Descend: Decrease throttle for all four motors.

Pitch (Forward/Backward Tilt)

• Pitch Forward: Increase RPM of back motors; decrease RPM of front motors.
• Result: Forward tilt and movement.
• Control: Push right stick upwards for forward, downwards for backward.

Roll (Left/Right Tilt)

• Roll Left: Increase RPM of right motors; decrease RPM of left motors.
• Result: Left tilt and movement.
• Control: Push right stick left for left roll, right for right roll.

Yaw (Direction Change)

• Yaw Left: Increase RPM of clockwise motors; decrease RPM of counterclockwise motors.
• Result: Left rotation of the body.
• Control: Push left stick left for left yaw, right for right yaw.

Quadcopter Components

Core Components

• Flight Controller: The brain controlling the drone and communicating with other parts.
• Radio Transmitter: Sends commands to the receiver (RX).
• Electronic Speed Controller (ESC): Controls motor speed based on flight controller signals.
  • 4 ESCs (one per motor).
• GPS: Provides location and heading data.
• First-Person View (FPV) Camera: Sends real-time video to the flight controller.
• On-Screen Display (OSD): Overlays flight data on FPV video.
• Video Transmitter: Sends video to the video receiver (goggles).
• Battery: Powers the flight controller and components.
• Capacitor: Cleans up power signals.
• Power Distribution Board (PDB): Distributes power to various components.
• Charger: Recharges and manages battery storage.

Additional Components

• HD Camera: Captures high-quality video.
• Gimbal: Stabilizes HD camera footage and can be controlled via the receiver.

Sensors

Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)

• Accelerometer: Measures linear force.
• Gyroscope: Measures rotational motion.

Barometer

• Function: Measures atmospheric pressure to determine altitude.

Volt Meter and Current Sensor

• Volt Meter: Measures battery voltage.
• Current Sensor: Measures current draw (power usage).
  • Power = Current x Voltage

Compass (Magnetometer)

• Function: Senses Earth's magnetic field to determine heading.

GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)

• Includes: GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (smaller systems).
• Function: Determines position, speed, and altitude.

Conclusion

• Next Steps: Ordering components in Part 3.
• Call to Action: Like, subscribe, check out Part 1, and watch for Part 3.